Plate clamping mechanism for printing presses



2 Sheets-Sheet l A. NEEF PLATE CLAMPING MEQHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed June 10, 1948 July 25, 1950 F M 3 3 E W 2 -s m=.ets t 2 July 25, 1950 A. NEEF EATE-CLA PING MECHANISM FOR PRQINTING PRESSES Filed June 10, 19 18 ALFRED NEEF ARM/a Patented July 25 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLATE CLAMIING MECHANISM. FOR

PRINTING PRESSES Alfred Neef, Audubon, N. .1.

Application June 10, 1948, Serial No. 32,090

3 Claims. (Cl. 1013.78).

The present invention relates to improved means for securing curved stereotype and other curved plates to the rotary cylinder of printing machines and the like.

An important feature of the invention consists in providing the printing cylinder with spaced slots that extend longitudinally or axially thereof, and associating with the cylinder curved printing plates, and longitudinally spaced pairs of curved clips that extend circumferentially around the cylinder so as to firml hold the plates receives a block of one of the pair of circumferentially aligned clips so that the blocks in each I slot are movable separately or independentlyof each other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with" the accompanying claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings-in which are shown several preferred embodiments the invention may assume:

Figure 1 is a side view of a printing cylinder with the invention associated therewith, and showing printing plates securedto one end of the cylinder.

Figure 2 is a detail side View of an end portion of the printing cylinder. I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2. t

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 1. I

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

-Figure '7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-4 of Figure 1. J

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the plate blocks. v

Figure 9 is aperspective view of a pair of clips and their associated clamping blocks;

Figure 1-0 is an enlarged sectional View taken l along the line l2--i2 of Figure 1,

I 2 Figure 13 is a sectional view similar to Figure 12*of a modified form of the invention. Figure 14 is a plan view of the leit-hand portion of Figure 1, with the plates removed, and

Figure 15 is a detail viewof the retaining nut and its associated parts.

Referring to the drawings, l 0 indicates a rotary printing cylinder such as employed in newspaper printing machines and the'like, and is preferably formed with diametrically opposedsubstantially T-shaped slots l-I between which are arranged to be positioned a pluralityof curved or segmental printing plates I 2. As shown, the cylinder is of such length as to carry eight printing plates which are arranged in horizontal and circumferentially spaced rows so as to extend around the cylinder in spaced pairs. It will,gof course, be manifest that the size and number of plates employed may be varied as particular printing conditions may require. In order to firmly hold each of the plates it in afi'xed position on the cylinder, there is associated with the longitudinal side edges of the plates, retaining clips or members l3 which are'arranged in ,cir-

cumferentiallyaligned pairs M, '15 and [6 (Fig.

1) that extend around the cylinder it, and are provided with opposed beveled or'inclined surfaces ll (Fig. 12) so as to frictionally engagethe complementary formed beveled edges l8 on the adjacent sides of the plates l2 to prevent long-fr tudinal movement of the plates when carried by the cylinder. The clips l3 at each end thereof preferably are integrally connected to clamping blocks l9 (Fig. 9) which extend longitudinally or substantially atright angles to jthe clips. Each of the' blocks l9 maybeof channel or angular shape and has an outwardly extending flangeZO at the bottom or lower end thereof and a tapered flange 2| extending from its upper end man the same direction as the flange 20. Thus, it will be seen that a curved clip I3 is, positioned between a pair of blocks l8 and preferably is connected centrally to a tapered flange 21 so asfto be flush with the top surface of the block, Of

course, the clips l3 instead of being integral with the blocks l9, may be-detachably connected thereto'in-any suitable manner. The centrally disposed pair of clips l5 (Fig. 10) are formed with threaded inclined openings 22 through which err-'- tend the threaded bolts 23 that engage the adjacent sides 24 of the slots H so as to m'aintain the center clipsin a-fixed position. The pairs of clips 14 and I 6 on opposite sides of the center clips l5, constitute intermediate retaining means which. coact with thecenter clipsfor maintaining the adjacent intermediate plates 12 on the'cyI- member-BI and the end of the cylinder.

inder. Additionally, outer pairs of clips 25 and 26 (Fig. l) are connected to opposite ends of the cylinder In so as to coact with the intermediate clips 14 and 16 respectively, for retaining the end plates (2 in position when the parts are set up. Each of the outer clips 25 and 26 is preferably wider than the clips l3, and terminate at their ends in'clamping blocks 21 that extend inwardly of the cylinder and are of substantially the same shape as the blocks I!) so as to be slidably mounted in the slots ll (Fig. 11). Each of the end clips 25 and 26 between the clamping blocks 21 (Fig. 7) may be provided with a T-shaped slot or the like 28 that is slidable in a complementary T-shaped slot or groove 29 in the outer periphery of the cylinder l between the slots H. Each of the blocks 28 has a longitudinally extending threaded opening 30 (Fig. 6) which registers with an opening in the annular end member or plate 3 I. A retaining threaded bolt 32 extends through the aligned openings into the slot. 29 and has a collar or fiange '33 ,that bears against the side of the cylinder and is positioned between the outer threaded end 34 of the bolt receives'a nut 35 so that upon rotation of-the bolt, the block 28 and its associated clip 25 may be moved axially formed with threaded openings 36 (Fig. 10) for receiving set screws 31 that fit into spaced 4 to have wider margins, then the clips l3 may be formed as shown in Figure 13, having the opposed sides formed with downwardly inclined portions 42 which terminate at their lower ends in straight portions 43 so as to coact with the similarl shaped opposed sides of the plates 12. The ends of the printing plate l2 which abut the clips I3 may be trimmed or reduced to provide a small margin between the print on each of the plates l2 and their confining clips I3 so as to avoid cutting unintentionally into the printing on the press plates, and without the necessity of increasing the marginal width between printed printing cylinder.

It will be noted that the clips l3 extend laterally from the upper flanges of the clamping The threaded recesses 36" in the outer periphery of the cylinder H) for, releasably securing the clips to the cylinder. The pair of, blocks [9 (Fig. 5) which slide in the same, T-shaped slot H are .spaced from each other to permit independent .movement of theseblocks in the slot. The pair of end blocks 21 in thesame slot are likewise spaced so that they maybe moved toward and .away from each other. -FIhe clamping blocks 19 onthe center clips l5 slide easily into place and then are tightened by the set screws 23 which 'move the blocks closer together and firmly maintain the center clips 15 in positionon the cylinder. The blocks 28 are positioned relative to the ,end clips 25 and 26 so as to insure the intermediate portions of the clips being firmly secured to the cylinder.-

, Slidably mounted in the slots H between the clamping blocks l9 are channel-shaped plate blocks 38 \vhichare substantially similar in shape to the blocks l9 (Fig. 8) and have their upper .beveled edges 39 engaging the adjacent sides or endsof the plates.v l2 toprevent rotation of the plates relative to, the cylinder. The'horizontal .blocks 38- coact with the transverse clips l3 for firmly maintainingthe plates in a fixed position on the rotary printing cylinder ill; The ends of the blocks 38 may be provided with recesses 40 for receivingcoil springs that. abut against the adjacent sides of the clamping blocks l9 and 21 so that whenthe parts areassembled and the plates 12 bein blocks l9 so that when: the blocks are inserted in the slots H, the inclined opposed surfaces of the clips 13 will engage the adjacent sides or ends of the plates l2 throughout the width thereof, and the inclined flanges 2! of the blocks will be free from engagement with the ends of the plates engaged by the clips 13 so that each clip projects along the entire width of the press plate l2 and abuts or overlaps the same tojhold the printing press plate firmly on the cylinder. By connecting the depending blocks l9 to the ends of the curved clips l3, means are provided for preventing the ends of the clips 13 from tilting upwardly when the printing cylinder is in operation.

The use of such narrow clips not only means less width for the paper roll used in printing but also requires less tonnage of printing paper. Moreover, the length and depth of the clips l3 are such as to engage the adjacent sides of the press plates throughout the entire depth of the plates and provides releasable clamping means that engage the plates the full width of the clips. The clips 13 may be of such size and shape to fit margins as required, and are formed of minimum width to insure safety and provide the necessary hold for maintaining the printing press plates securely on the cylinder. The clamping blocks 19 and the plate blocks 38 may be inserted separately in the grooves II when assembling the machine so as to be properly positioned relative to the plates to be retained on the cylinder. As it will be seen from Figure 12, the clip 13 gives a margin as narrow as the top of the clip and this width of margin may vary depending on the particular size plates and the purpose for which the machine is to be used.

While for practical purposes it has been found that it is necessary only to provide two diametrically opposed T-shaped slots l I in the cylinders l0, thus reducing to a minimum the number of such slots, it will be manifest if smaller sizes of plates are required, which dispense with the center blocks 28 that additional spaced slots H may be formed in the cylinder for receiving such blocks.

Thus, it will be seen that the clips I3, 25 and 26 and their associated parts provide simple, efficient and positive means for engaging the entire side of the printing plates in order to hold them on the cylinder. Moreover, the clipscan be varied in size or shape to fit different shapes of plate edges as printing conditions may require. Further, the clips may be reduced to a minimum of width for safety in holding press plates in position without impairing the printing efiiciency of the machine.

It will be understood that the forms of the invention shown are merely illustrative and that such changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a printing machine, a

printing cylinder having diametrically opposed substantially T-shaped slots extending longitudinally thereof and coextensive in length there with, curved printing plates spaced longitudinally and circumferentially on said cylinder to provide pairs of intermediate plates and end plates, a pair of substantially centrally disposed curved clips engaging the adjacent sides of the intermediate plates, the central clips terminating at their ends in flanged clamping blocks slidably mounted in said longitudinal slots, means securing the central clips in a fixed position on the cylinder, a pair of intermediate curved clips on each side of the center clips and engaging the adjacent edges of the intermediate plates and the end plates, said intermediate clips terminating in flanged clamping blocks slidably mounted in said longitudinal slots, curved end clips engaging the outer end of the end plates and provided with flanged end blocks slidable in said longitudinal slots, each pair of clips being arranged so that a clip thereof has a block slidable in the same slot as its associated clip, and pairs of plate blocks slidably mounted in each of said slots between clamping blocks for engaging the sides of the plates.

2. A printing machine as called for in claim 1 and having yieldable means interposed between the plate blocks and the clamping blocks.

3. In combination with a printing cylinder having spaced T-shaped slots in the outer surface thereof, a printing plate carried by the cylinder, means for firmly securing the edges of the plate to the cylinder, said means including curved clips extending circumferentially around the cylinder and having beveled edges engaging the edges of the plate, each of said clips having its ends terminating in flanged clamping blocks slidable in said slots, and plate blocks slidably mounted in said slots between the clamping blocks for engaging the sides of the plate and coacting with said clips for maintaining the plate in a fixed position on the cylinder.

ALFRED NEEF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

